2015-06-25 Reclamation Plant

Death Investigation – Reclamation Plant Road

Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a man whose body was found Thursday morning north of Amarillo.

Discovery

At approximately 10 a.m., a City of Amarillo employee was driving down Reclamation Plant Road near the River Road Wastewater Treatment Plant when they saw a white, four-door sedan. The worker stopped to investigate and found a Hispanic man lying face-down near the vehicle.

Potter County Justice of the Peace Debbie Horn said the man, thought to be in his early 30s, suffered a gunshot wound to the chest. A handgun was found at the scene, and the man was pronounced dead at 10:41 a.m.

Scene Details

The wastewater treatment plant is located about 10 miles north of Amarillo. To access Reclamation Road, drivers must first push a button that opens a gate that crosses the road.

Potter County Capt. John Coffee said the vehicle was about 130 yards south of the road and west of the railroad tracks that cross the road.

Horn said authorities believe the victim had been at the scene since 2:43 a.m.

Investigation Status

Horn called the incident a "probable suicide" and said an autopsy would be completed to determine if that was the case.

"We're trying to determine who he is and how he came to be here," Coffee said.

Authorities have not yet released the man's identity, pending notification of next of kin.